| Worth seeing: | for a handful of spectacular superhero smash-ups but with a less visual antagonist, it'll win over dedicated fans more than casual visitors to the Marvel universe |
| Director: | Destin Daniel Cretton |
| Featuring: | Tom Holland, Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Jacob Batalon, Jon Bernthal, Liza Colón-Zayas, Marisa Tomei, Mark Ruffalo, Marvin Jones III, Michael Mando, Naomi Watts, Sadie Sink, Tramell Tillman |
| Length: | 145 minutes |
| Certificate: | 12A |
| Country: | Canada, UK, US |
| Released: | 29th July 2026 |
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
Several years after Dr Strange’s spell made everyone forget about Peter Parker (Tom Holland), he’s been happily fighting crime across New York as his Spider-Man alter-ego, with no-one having any idea who he is – not even his closest friend Ned (Jacob Batalon) or the girlfriend he had to give up to save the world, MJ (his real-life wife, Zendaya).
When an audacious break-out frees a criminal known as Scorpion from prison, the head of the Department for Damage Control brings Spider-Man in to try to catch those responsible, put Scorpion back behind bars and eliminate the threat to the Department.
Spider-Man’s unseen new nemesis seems to be able to take over the bodies of almost anyone it wants, making it tough for him to know whether anyone he speaks to might be the mysterious super villain.
But as he tries to solve the mystery about who is trying to get into the Department for Damage Control, what they want and why, a chance encounter tempts him to try to revisit his past, he starts having health issues headaches and having issues with his powers.
WHAT’S IT LIKE?
In Tom Holland’s fourth solo outing as Spider-Man, he’s joined by familiar faces from both his own corner of the Marvel Universe and beyond.
This time, the existential crises centre on himself, rather than the entire universe, which makes it more of a personal story – whether he’s having to deal with problematic arachnid DNA levels in his hormones or trying to rekindle a romance with a girlfriend who has no recollection of who he is.
Both the Spider-Man franchise – and the wider superhero worlds – have seen plenty of films before where their real-life identity has been questioned or where they’ve lost their powers (from Christopher Reeve’s Superman experiencing mortality in Superman II to Tobey Maguire’s “I’m back, I’m back – ouch, my back!” in Spider-Man 2), so some of the major themes feel like retreads of familiar territory.
But the bigger picture, this time, is the mystery of what evil force is trying to get into the Department for Damage Control and why – is it quite as evil as the authorities claim?
Battling both his own inner demons and a couple of familiar demons outside, Spider-Man: Brand New Day – named after an edition of the comic in which his history is wiped and he starts again from scratch – provides us with a handful of spectacular episodes of swinging and cityscape-destroying fighting – but with the main super-villain being someone – or something – that can take over other people’s bodies, it doesn’t make for the most visual showdowns; rather than seeing Spidey flitting between New York’s rooftops, or scaling skyscrapers, to escape the likes of the Green Goblin or Doctor Octopus, he’s largely standing on the street, chatting to humans – even if he doesn’t actually know who’s inside.
There’s a big reveal midway through that sends the story in a totally different direction, which will thrill fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and leave anyone else somewhat nonplussed – even confused.
And that’s the big issue – I won’t call it a problem – that ultimately, with the appearance or reappearance of characters or themes from beyond Spider-Man’s own back-catalog – both big screen and small – people without a Disney+ subscription will feel short-changed, but superfans will be delighted. Remembering what happened in the last Spider-Man outing 5 years ago or being familiar with Spidey’s film and TV cousins will certainly make a complicated backstory clearer.
While many fans can’t get enough of Bruce Banner or the Punisher popping up, an X-Men crossover storyline or some heart-wrenching introspection, those who just want a couple of hours of spectacular fun and don’t have the time – or inclination – to buy into the wider web of hero lore, could feel a little short-changed.